Jersey has traded their clogging defensive style for a high-octane attack that is paying major dividends so far

This isn’t the way the script was supposed to go when Taylor Hall and the New Jersey Devils made their visit to Edmonton this season.

It was supposed to be the Oilers who were lighting up the NHL and the Devils who were struggling for answers in a mounting garbage pile of defeat.

But the roles are reversed tonight as Hall and the 9-2-0 Devils look to stick another dagger in a 3-7-1 Oilers team that is somehow back in 30th place.

“It’s been a good start to the year, and that’s probably why I’m more comfortable coming in here,” said Hall, who has 15 points on the season, more than any member of the goal-starved Oilers. “This is a special place for me to play and I loved my time here, but coming back this time, I don’t feel the same nervousness about the reception. I’m just here to try to help my team win a hockey game.”

When they met last year, for the first time since Edmonton dealt Hall to the Devils for defenceman Adam Larsson, the Oilers were in the middle of a 103-point season and looked like they were on their way to becoming Stanley Cup contenders for years to come.

Hall admitted at the time it was tough to see the Oilers having so much success in his absence, while the Devils were losing their way through the early stages of a rebuild.

The view this year is much more palatable.

From left, Will Butcher, Taylor Hall and Nico Hischier of the New Jersey Devils celebrate Hall’s goal against the Arizona Coyotes on Oct. 28, 2017 in Newark, N.J.

“The position our team is in is a lot better this time, it’s been a lot more fun this year,” he said, adding he feels no added motivation to stick it to the team that traded him.

“I just want to win a hockey game, that’s the biggest thing. To go 10-2 would be a great start to the year.”

The Oilers are trying to downplay the return, understandably. It’s a tough pill for the organization to swallow that the player they tacitly blamed for years of losing in Edmonton is now a lead dog on a winner, while their own team sits last in the league in offence.

“I think we’re beyond that now, I don’t think coming back has anything to do with it,” said head coach Todd McLellan, who isn’t interested in the Hall storyline, just the player. “He’s a driving force on that team. They feed off of his pace, too, he’s a big factor.

“It’s not about Taylor and playing against him, it’s about trying to find our game finding some guys to play that way on our team.”

We know what they’re bringing, so we have to find ways to limit that speed, get to the forecheck and use our size to our advantage.

Patrick Maroon

The Devils have definitely been a handful. They’ve traded their clogging defensive style for a high-octane attack that is paying major dividends so far. They are young, fast, and they come at you hard. They are basically everything the Oilers want to be.

“They made some changes this summer and they’re off to a really good start,” said Oilers winger Leon Draisiatl. “They’re always very structured and have a really good goaltender. It’ll be a good game.”

It’s a game the Oilers are desperate to win. They are losing ground in the West and the bleeding has to stop if they want a chance to make the playoffs.

“They’re a young, tenacious team,” said winger Patrick Maroon. “They’re fast, they strip pucks, they back check hard. They’re well-coached. They’ve been proving they’re a good hockey team. We know what they’re bringing, so we have to find ways to limit that speed, get to the forecheck and use our size to our advantage.”

“We want to get rolling here,” added Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. “We want to get back on track.”

LATE HITS — Anton Slepyshev will skate on the second line right wing, taking the spot of Kailer Yamamoto, who’s played eight NHL games … D Kris Russell had to leave to morning skate after being hit in the face with a puck, but he is expected to play tonight.

The Oilers are never going to crawl their way out of this early hole unless they figure out their special teams. It’s getting ridiculous, with the power play 29th and the penalty-killing 30th.

Wednesday’s game against Pittsburgh marked the fourth time this season (in 11 games) in which Edmonton gave up two or more power-play goals.

Third-world problems

The Oilers have been tied in the third period in their last six games (three of them at home) and lost four of them.

A team that was so adept at closing out games last season is now finding a way to lose them. The Oilers need to rediscover the poise they had in the third period last year because they are letting valuable points slip away.

Secondary scoring

Take away Connor McDavid, Patrick Maroon, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl, and the two power play goals from Mark Letestu, and the other nine forwards have combined for two goals in 11 games this season.

The top players on this team are getting zero support. Too many passengers on a losing team.

The big matchup

Taylor Hall vs. the Edmonton Oilers

The former first overall draft pick and cornerstone of the second rebuild returns to Edmonton, with the Oilers in 30th place again and the red-hot New Jersey Devils on a three-game winning streak and sitting fourth overall at 9-2-0.

With fans in Edmonton pulling their hair out over their team’s woeful power play and lack of offence, Hall has 15 points, which would make him the leading scorer on the Oilers this season.

Hall felt he was made a scapegoat when the Oilers traded him and would love to add to Edmonton’s misery.

This Week's Flyers

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.